This invention relates to rotary fluid devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a rotary fluid motor or pump device having a rotor which carries slidable vane members that shift in a non-radial direction during rotation of the rotor. The invention also relates to a new hydraulic steering system for vehicles, and one particularly characterized by the fact that it incorporates a rotary fluid valve and rotary fluid motor in a housing capable of being easily mounted on a steering shaft, either at initial vehicle manufacture or subsequently.
Rotary fluid pumps or motors of the axially sliding vane type have been proposed heretofore. Insofar as is known, those heretofore proposed have had their work function limited in essence to single vanes diametrically opposed. Some have employed extremely rapid shift of the vanes and sharp changes of cam slope as a claimed benefit. Other designs have employed complex porting of fluid through a rotor against sides of the vanes within the rotor to overcome their problem of vane binding and resistance to sliding. No known pumps or motors have the simplicity of structure and force distribution features characteristic of the rotary fluid motors or pumps of this invention.
Fluid devices of this invention have an extraordinary range of uses. For example, a rotary motor of the invention may be mounted on the axle of wheels of vehicles and employed for powering vehicle movement and braking. The fluid pumps or motors of the invention are capable of almost infinite variations of speed. As a motor, they are particularly useful for purposes such as driving conveyors or cables or other devices where variation of the rate of movement is necessary or desirable with substantially equal power or work force regardless of the rate of motor rotation.